Solving sexual abuse – the Holy Father’s view

These words of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI should be an eye-opener for us Cebuanos as we grapple with the issue of misbehaving priests: “What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?”

What the Holy Father is saying is that the phenomenon of errant priests involved in sexually related misdemeanors is part of the total pattern of negative social practices brought about by exposure to unwholesome media shows in the house or outside. This being the case, the issue of child abuse by clerics or other such abuses in the domain of the latter’s relationship with the opposite sex shall be addressed, to use the Pope’s own words, “within the wider context of sexual mores.”

This statement was uttered during the Pope’s visit in America and the social problem he was referring to had its setting in the America society. But considering the global reach of electronic media, he could have been talking of the same problem in any contemporary societies – especially in the Philippines, a Catholic country.

One sad observation is that the Filipino clergies have not been less tarnished than their American counterparts. In Cebu, for instance, incidents have been reported of priests and bishops who have been accused of improper sex-related conducts. In fact, only recently a court case was initiated against a priest for alleged child abuse. A few years ago, the headman of a religious order also in Cebu was accused by his own wards of sexually molesting them. And in Manila a couple of years ago, a well-known bishop was publicly denounced for having made amorous advances to his lady office worker.

These and others not mentioned are only a few of the church scandals in this country which have been played up in the media. Were these isolated cases? Unfortunately they were not because many similar incidents have happened and are happening in Philippine parishes.

Another sad observation is that despite these scandals, the people seemed not to mind them. No collective actions were taken, so the culprit priests continued to go on with their aberrant ways enjoying the benefits of priestly life and that of clandestine Casanova. What is happening?  Have the people’s standard of sexual morality taken a downward trend? Have they set aside the immutable rules of Christian conduct and succumbed to relativistic appraisal of what is right and what is wrong?

When a priest in a northern Cebu parish was under investigation for sexual misdemeanor, did not dozens of his parishioners mass before the investigations to plead for his innocence? When the media was crying for the head of that young priest who reportedly fondled the shoulders and arms of the teenaged girls who were doing their confession, was there a concerted howl of public indignation?

These happenings, without doubt, underpin the Holy Father’s idea “to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores.” If society’s measure of sexual morality has slid down for one reason or another the consequence is a general decline in the observance of time honored ethos on man-woman relationship. And priests, social beings as they are, cannot escape from such trend. Of course, fingers are quick to indict them the moment they succumb to sexual temptations. By their upbringing they are supposed to stand up for what is right. Like a strong and virtuous soul, says a poet, a seasoned timber never gives. But whence is their seasoning?

This viewpoint of the Roman Pontiff must have been in the mind of the Catholic hierarchy in Cebu for their patronizing stanch towards erring priests. Cracking the whip seems to be a no-no with them, the reason why after a semblance of in-house investigations nothing happens. Perhaps, the leaders have so much of the forgiving fathers in them that despite the scandals brought about by their prodigal sons, open arms still await the latter.

More than this, the social context of priestly infraction must have also influenced these religious leaders. If some of their kind have been the victims of negative social influences, why hold the happening against them? Besides, cracking the whip would be an unchristian act. It would not completely solve the problem, rooted as it is in the social milieu.

Moral reformation therefore would be the right approach. Less than this would only be a mere palliative.